Trudeau says no decision yet on expelling Chinese envoy implicated in threats to MP

By The Canadian Press on May 5, 2023.

OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says no decision has been made yet on whether to expel a Chinese diplomat who allegedly targeted a member of Parliament and his family.

Trudeau says removing another country’s envoy from Canada is a big step and all the potential effects of such a decision must be considered.

Conservative MP Michael Chong says he was informed this week that allegations China was targeting his family members in Hong Kong were shared with the prime minister’s national security adviser in 2021.

Trudeau maintains that the information never rose to a political level, and says he has directed security agencies to change their reporting process so he is made aware of any future threats against MPs.

Trudeau would not directly answer when asked in French whether other federal politicians were being targeted in 2021, when Chong and other MPs were sanctioned by China after they criticized its human-rights record.

He told reporters at the Liberal party’s policy convention this morning that Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly will make a decision about whether to expel the diplomat in due course.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 5, 2023.

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